Unrest in Odisha’s Bhadrak: Harrowing time for patients, attendants in hospitals

With the unrest intensified across Bhadrak town and adjacent areas over objectionable remarks on Lord Ram and curfew imposed in many places, the common people especially the patients became the worst victims at the hospitals and clinics.

The patients undergoing treatment at the district headquarters hospital suffered to get food and medicines as nothing was available in the hospitals and medicine distribution centre was locked due to curfew.

“It was a chaotic experience as medicine stores and eatery shops are closed due to curfew followed by violence. Nothing is available here right now and we are going through a critical period of time. We hope the normalcy will return soon in the town”, said an attendant of a patient at the district headquarters hospital.

The tension flared up in the town after the peace committee talks failed to reach any conclusion to stabilize harmony.

The facebook posts offending the deities by minority youths led to outrage and tension across the town and later the violence spread to other areas of the district.

Despite section 144 remained in force in the town, the rioters set the shops and vehicles on fire and some shops were ransacked at Nua Bazaar and Town Hall chhak. The locals spent the night with scare.

The administration imposed curfew in many places to bring the situation under control. The Home Secretary Asit Tripathy and DGP KB Singh camped in Bhadrak to monitor the situation. The curfew will be in force since today at 6 am till 8 am next day in the town. The administration clamped section 144 in Basudevpur and Dham Nagar in view of the outrage in the areas.

DGP KB Singh appealed to people to maintain peace and harmony. He said that the situation has been put under control.

“We have extended the curfew period from 6 am to 8 am in view of the situation. The situation is under control. We have deployed 35 platoons of police at the site. Many senior officials are also present”, he said.

Meanwhile, the examinations scheduled to be held in Bhadrak College were suspended till Wednesday due to the unrest.

College students residing in the hostels also became the worst sufferers after the curfew was imposed in the area.

The situation also remained tough for the commuters heading to other locations via Bhadrak.